Princess Aneka Meets Her Match
by Princess Aneka
Summary: You'll Find Out
1. Princess Aneka Meets Prince Sameth

*Chapter One: Princess Aneka and Prince Sameth Meet*  
  
" Excuse me. Are you Prince Sameth?" a young lady asked. She rode upon a bay horse and was starring at the Prince with quizzical eyes. It'd been three months and four days since the prince had fought beside his parents, aunt, sister, two of the Clayr, Lirael's dog, and Mogget.  
  
"Why do you ask?" Prince Sameth asked. He was very weary from his travels. He'd just returned from Ancelstriere.  
  
"I'm Aneka. Princess of the Mountains. I can explain if you have time. You look rather tired. Have you had a hard days ride?" She asked concerned. He was riding on a horse same as she. Except his was black and had one white socked hoof.  
  
"Yes. I am Prince Sameth and I'm fine." He lied. "go ahead. Explain." He replied dismounting his horse and tying the reins to a low tree branch. Aneka too dismounted and made her horse stay. She didn't have reins for it. She always rode bare back. She sat down on the grassy knoll beside him.  
  
"Inside me runs all blood. All magic. I'm apart of the Wall. Apart of the Charter. I can see the future and the past. I know what is going to happen tomorrow or this very minute. My family's blood runs in the Wall making it the magic it is. The Abhorsen's Bells are apart of me too." Aneka explained. Sam jumped up from where he had been. **This is that girl they told me would come. They said she'd come to me, but why now? Why did they want me to go to Ancelstriere? ** Sam asked himself.  
  
"How can you be? Give me some proof. I don't believe you!" Sam exclaimed. He was confused at all of this. His mind was racing. The Clayr said she'd give him proof when asked to give some.  
  
"Prince Sameth please sit back down. Don't attract attention to yourself." Aneka said calmly.  
  
"You are not who you say you are! You can't beher!" He said loudly. Aneka was taken aback. **What was he talking about? Who was this girl' he keeps talking about? Could the Clayr have seen me with him? Could there be danger up ahead? ** Aneka thought to herself.  
  
"I am who I say I am Sameth and if you can't accept that then that's your problem. Who is this girl you're talking about anyway?" Aneka asked rasing her voice too. Sam looked at her forehead and saw the Charter mark blazing. He reached out and touched it. Aneka tensed, but then she reached out and touched his forehead too. She could feel the familiar spiral of free magic there. He too could feel the endless spiral of the Charter, but also felt something foreign. He could feel the tanginess of free magic. Yet with her the free magic didn't make you gag. It was pure free magic. Something he'd never come across or ever heard of. He wasn't even sure it really existed. Well, he guessed it did now. He felt calm somehow. "See. I am who I say I am." Aneka said softly.  
  
"The Clayr saw you. They said I'd find you." Sam said calmly dropping his hand. Aneka did too. For some reason he felt alive now. He had a feeling she was who she said she was.  
  
"Hmmm . . . so I'm the girl you had to find? Why? Is there something up ahead a danger we should know about? Why didn't I know? By the way, did you get the hemispheres buried in a safe place? Is Chlorr beyond the Ninth Gate? Did you make Lirael a new hand?" Aneka asked.  
  
" Yes I did all those things. I don't know if there is a danger up ahead. Please just call me Sam. How do you know about Chlorr?" He asked instead. He was confused. Aneka got quiet and looked at the sky to the west. She saw a flock of Gore Crows tear into a messenger bird and she flinched. She didn't want to answer him at all.  
  
"I was there, but I couldn't help. I was trapped and was just released three months ago." Aneka said softly. Sam sat back down next to her.  
  
"How were you trapped?" Sam asked curiously. He felt he shouldn't upset her anymore than he had to. He too had seen the gore crows.  
  
"In my place. I can travel form one place to another very quickly. Hedge trapped me using my blood, because I'd used my blood to make it. Anyway. After he died, it took me awhile to get out and I had to do a lot of spells. It's made me a little weak." Aneka said sounding far away from herself.  
  
"How could you see us?" Sam asked.  
  
"That is for me to know and you to never find out." Aneka replied cheerfully. She smiled. He saw that one of her canine teeth stuck out to the side. Her smile was pretty.  
  
"Well, then how did we do?" Sam asked quietly. He was curious as to her point of view on things. All things considered . . . from his point of view things had gone ok. Except that Lirael had lost her hand.  
  
"If it wasn't for Mogget you would all be gone." Aneka said.  
  
"He did do the right thing." Sam said softly.  
  
"You did such a good job. Your work is great. Everyone did a good job. Hearing the bells, Dogs bark, and Yral sing . . . oh they were music to my ears! Still I cried. I felt the pain of everyone too." Aneka whispered tears coming to her eyes.  
  
"She died a hero." Sam said. Aneka tensed and looked up. The flock was hurtling toward them at rapid speed. Aneka called her horse to her and grabbed her bow and arrows. She let lose four at once and took out six of the dozen. The next four arrows she let loose killed the rest. Sam scowled. He'd just been shown up. And by a woman! He felt rather stupid. Why had she beaten him to the draw? *Because she's been at this a lot more than you. She practiced every chance she got!* He smiled now. "That was good, but you could work on your aim a little."Sam suggested. He'd grabbed his sword. He could feel the dead spirits going back to Death.  
  
"I'm not that bad. Let's see how you do." Aneka said. She whistled bringing the gore crows back to life. The hurtled toward them once more. Sam killed them all.  
  
"I'm just as good as you." Sam smirked.  
  
"True. Well, I must go." Aneka said turning to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Sam called.  
  
"What?" Aneka asked.  
  
"Why do you have to leave?" he asked.  
  
" Look if I don't, I'll never leave. The whole time I was trapped I was whispering I love you."Aneka said. She ran her hands through her long hair. "I fell in love with you Sam. If I don't leave now I might never leave. Everything you did. All the power you poses. I...I have to go." Aneka said dropping the bow and turning around. She waved her hand in the air once and a black 'door' opened. Sam's mouth dropped open and as soon as he came out of hi stupor he tried to stop her.  
  
"Aneka don't!" Sam exclaimed. She stepped inside leaving her horse behind. He felt panicked now. Worse than ever. A sick feeling rose in the pit of his stomach. He was shocked at what she just said. She loved him. It was the first time anyone had said something like that to him besides his parents. 


	2. Aneka's Delima

*Chapter Two: Aneka's Dilemma*  
  
Aneka emerged from the black door into her room. She threw herself onto her bed. A white cat crawled up to her and licked her face. She jumped up off the bed falling on the floor. She moved as far away as possible.  
  
"Aneka. You should have stayed." It said. Aneka had been through enough these days. She didn't need to be bugged by a stupid cat.  
  
"W...who are you?" she asked. She tucked her hair behind her ears.  
  
" I'm Mogget. The Abhorsen's cat. Well, servant, or so they say." He replied jumping off the bed.  
  
"Oh. Well, don't sneak up on me like that. I've not had much fun these past few months. Being trapped in something you've created for yourself . . . not cool." Aneka said getting up and brushing herself off. She picked Mogget up as well and then sat down on the bed to pet him. "What now?" She asked herself out loud.  
  
"Come now . . . stop messing up my fur!" Mogget grumbled jumping down. Aneka lay back to stare up at the ceiling. She thought of the dream she'd had three nights ago. Something had tried to help her, tried to tell her something was up. She sighed.  
  
"Come on Mogget." She said getting up to go to the palace library. Mogget went along with her. She got there just as the librarian was about to leave. The librarian bowed.  
  
"The ladies' books are in the back corner." She said.  
  
"I'm not looking for pleasure reading. I'm here to look at the books of our past. You know the records of the castle." Aneka said.  
  
"The women are not allowed to use those books Princess Aneka. It was forbidden by the third generation King." the librarian said shuffling her feet.  
  
"Oh? So that's where all of this started. Well I don't give a damn. You show me where they are. This could mean life or death to our people." Aneka lied.  
  
"Princess Aneka I can't. Not without permission from the King." She said. Aneka narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Like I said. I don't give a damn who can look at those books. I can handle it just as well as every man out there. Maybe even more so. Now let me see them."Aneka said loudly. The librarian sighed and took her back to where the records were kept. Aneka spent three hours going through the records until she came to the records of a woman prophet. The only recordings of any woman prophet in their history. The woman's voice seemed to fill the room as Aneka read:  
  
" Her hair will be long and dark brown. She will have the sight and lead us to a better life. She'll unite the kingdoms. Keep the powers alive. Lead us through the generations. Keep us alive. She's the one who is whole. The one with it all. Her entire heritage. Her name . . . Princess Aneka. I know I'll never meet her. So to my Princess. I love you. Keep it together. Don't give up. You'll understand all of this once you find it. Don't die Princess. Your father will figure it out in the end . . . "  
  
The woman's voice cut off right then. Aneka knew why. There was blood on the page. They'd murdered her, because she was the only woman to receive the sight. Aneka took that book and three others with her back to her room. She put them in a pack and put it on her back along with supplies she might need. She left her room with Mogget riding on the inside. She got to her father's chambers and burst through.  
  
"Why the hell did you kill her?" she screamed. Her father looked at her like she'd committed a sin. She hadn't told him about her ordeal the past three months ago.  
  
'Why did you come barging into my chambers like this?" He asked. Aneka just stared at him as if she hated him.  
  
"Mine first." She replied coldly. Her father sighed.  
  
"She had to die. It wasn't even my decision! It was your great-great- great-great-great-great grandfather's. Women weren't regarded as fit to have the sight." He said.  
  
"As it is now. I had to order the librarian to let me into that section. If you don't start treating the women in this society better, you will be rebelled against. I am not going to rule a kingdom where men think they're all high and mighty. Millions of our people could die Father" Aneka said her temper flaring.  
  
"You won't be running the kingdom your husband will. We've never trusted women in all our lives. So why start now?" the king asked.  
  
"Looks like I won't get married then. Unless I get to choose my husband." Aneka said.  
  
"All you'll go for is the love and good looks in a man. You won't look at the fact he might have money or have a father who is one of the leading rulers of a country." the King flared.  
  
"Like I care if he's rich. Just as long as he doesn't treat me like trash." Aneka said. She waved her hand in the air and stormed through her door . Her father just continued to yell after her.  
***  
  
Sam took both horses with him to Abhorsen's house. He went straight to the library after putting the horses in the stable.  
  
"Sam?" Lirael hollered. She thought she had heard him return from his travels.  
  
"I'm in the library!" he hollered as well. She went into the library.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked once she'd seen him looking through the books on the shelf. He selected one and sat down to look at it.  
  
"Nothing." He muttered reading. There was nothing in here about pure free magic. Nothing at all.  
  
"I know that look Sam. You're distracted." Lirael said. She crossed her arms in front or her.  
  
"So. Aren't I always?" He asked. He continued looking through the book in his hands.  
  
"Well, you haven't been as of late." Lirael said softly. Sam sighed. He was going to end up getting pissed at his aunt before she shut-up. He was always worried about her and everything else in his life. His parents had been gone for six or seven months now on royal business elsewhere. Now on top of all that this girl was practically dropped in his lap and he had to find out what was going on.  
  
"I'm just reading. Why don't you go back to the Glacier Aunt Lirael?" Sam said getting up to put the book back. He left the room. Lirael stood there. *Maybe Sam is right. Maybe I should go to the Glacier. * Lirael thought to herself. Sam walked out of the house and into the sunshine. He'd made Lirael a new hand. Chlorr was beyond the Ninth Gate and the Hemispheres were buried somewhere safely. *Aneka. Why you? * Sam thought to himself. He wandered around the island awhile. Why was she worried about Chlorr? Why had she confessed to him like that? Lirael walked out packed and ready to go.  
  
"Sam . I leave you in charge. I'm going home to visit my family." Lirael said.  
  
"You don't have to leave Lirael. I was just distracted. You were right. I'm sorry." Sam tried to apologize.  
  
"I'm leaving Sam . I miss them."Lirael said softly.  
  
"Lirael wait!" Sam hollered. She stopped. "Look in the books at the glacier and see if there is anything in them about pure free magic. Please." He said. She nodded her consent and left. Sam went back inside. A black space appeared in front of him and Aneka walked out. 


	3. Aneka's Wound

*Chapter Three: Aneka's Wound*  
  
Aneka emerged from her door crying. *Why do we always get into all the fights? Why couldn't it have ever been Mom and I? Why did she have to die so soon? Why did they have to take her from me?* Aneka thought to herself  
  
"Aneka? Are you ok?" Sam asked going to her side. She started crying even more.  
  
"No, I'm not." She choked out through her tears. She welcomed his embrace. She felt like she was loved. Her father had never held her when she'd cried or when she had a nightmare. It was always her nurse maid or her mother. So it was special to her.  
  
"Sh . . . It's ok Aneka. I'm here for you. Don't cry. Just tell me. I'll listen." Sam said.  
  
"My father and I had a fight about women's rights in our society. Then it came to discussing me getting married. He won't let me chose who I want to marry, but he'll choose for me. I don't want to marry someone who treats me like trash. I don't want to marry for the money or anything like that. I want to marry someone who cares for me. Not just for themselves. I want to be free of all the royalty." Aneka said. Sameth pulled her up to make her stand. He put both of his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Noone should chose what's best for you. I mean that." Sam said smiling at her. She liked his smile and basked in the glow. She smiled at him, but then suddenly a look of pain crossed her face. The room began to tilt in front of her. Her eyes clouded and she closed them as tightly as she could. She didn't know when she hit the floor. All she could feel was the pain. She was drawn into a shadow world. She saw herself fighting against an evil. She saw Lirael fighting along side the Abhorsen and Touchstone. She saw the worst ahead. The dead were rising a new. Chlorr had been given anew body and was alive again. It was worse than the dreams she had. Aneka awoke on a bed. She didn't know what time it was or what day it was. She sat up and looked around. She was in a room. Sam walked in and stared at her.  
  
"What?" She asked Sam turned around quickly, but not before she saw his face turn bright red. She looked down and saw that she was completely naked. "Oh!" She exclaimed pulling the covers up to her chin. She looked down at the foot of her bed ands found her sword and clothes there. The three books she'd brought with her were opened on the floor. "Why are my books open on the floor? What have you been doing?"Aneka asked forgetting to be decent . She got out of the bed and picked up the three books on the floor. She could feel Sam's eyes on her back when she bent over.  
  
"Sorry. I was looking for some stuff on pure free magic. I thought they would help me. Do you want to take a bath?" Sam asked trying to change the subject. He had turned back around so that he was facing away from her again. She felt a blush crawl from her head to her toes.  
  
" There is probably something in there about pure free magic. I'm not totally sure. I haven't read them all yet. I would like a bath yes." She said blushing even more. Sam pulled a towel out of thin air, or so it seemed to her. He tossed it to her and turned back around.  
  
"Thank-you." Aneka muttered putting the towel on.  
  
"Are you toweled?" Sam asked. Aneka nodded and then realized he wouldn't be able to see her.  
  
"Yes." She said. Sam turned around and looked her over. He felt weird inside. Like he shouldn't be handing her a towel at all and should be helping her with her bath.  
  
"There is a tub behind that screen." Sam said taking her arm and pulling her behind a veil of fabric. The tub was filed with steaming hot water. "Soap is in the dish there. Shampoo along with conditioner is in the bottles."He explained. She looked into his eyes and smiled again. He smiled down at her and felt a blush crawl across his cheeks. Then he left her alone so she could take her bath. She slipped in after he'd left and she'd taken off her towel. She laid her head back and saw a sending standing over her. It was staring at her and was reaching for a washcloth. She looked at it weirdly and once it reached toward her to wash her she nearly died form fright.  
  
"Ah" She screamed jumping out of the tub and running as far away as possible. That's when Sam came running in and ran into her.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked gripping her shoulders. He saw the sending behind her holding a washcloth.  
  
"It scared me!" Aneka said trembling. She reached up and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hands were resting on his chest. Sam nearly forgot to breath when she ran into him. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.  
  
"They can be perverted. You just have to deal with it." Sam said trying hard not to laugh. He was trying to shake off the new feelings he had. One's he couldn't identify clearly.  
  
"Well, my sendings don't do that!" Aneka exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her statement. The hair that she had so carefully tucked behind her ears came loose and draped over the front of her chest. She looked scared standing there naked and dripping wet.  
  
"Would you stop moving like that?! You're standing there naked!" Sam exclaimed glancing over her. Now it was getting worse. He shouldn't have looked, but had stupidly given into temptation. Aneka blushed and covered herself as best she could.  
  
"Well, I'm not taking a bath with sendings watching me!" Aneka said angrily. Sam saw fear in her eyes and then suddenly he felt a shock of pain rip through her. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees. Her hands went out in front of her so she could catch herself.  
  
"Aneka? Aneka!" Sam exclaimed dropping to his own knees and reaching for her. He could feel the trembling of her body. He pulled her to him and saw a wound on her shoulder. *Hedge* he thought to himself. The wound had opened again. He could see that it had burn marks on the edges and thought of the scars he had on his own wrists. He picked her up and sat her back in the tub. He washed the wound and decided he may as well wash the rest of her as well. He then dried her off. He tucked her into bed and put a hand to her forehead. It was hot under his touch. He saw her lips were blue and she began shivering uncontrollably. He knew she couldn't possibly know what was happening. Her eyes had gone into a blank stare. Sam felt sick with worry. Her hands were cold as ice. The only part of her body that was burning hot besides her forehead was the spot on her shoulder. She screamed trying to get out of Sam's grasp. She arched her back trying to move which caused her to brush against his arm. Sam closed his eyes letting the spasm pass. He couldn't think at all. He got one of his shirts and put it on her. His hands lingered on her arms. Mogget appeared on the bed suddenly. He licked Aneka's forehead and howled jumping back.  
  
"She has the fever. You must heal her in Death!" Mogget exclaimed.  
  
"What ,but what is the fever?" Sam asked. He was wrestling with her.  
  
"It's where a Necromancer uses the blood of someone like her to bind something and Hedge is dead. So you have to heal her in Death. Otherwise she will die!" Mogget said aiding Sam for once in his life.  
  
"Mogget you know Death and I don't get along." Sam said. Aneka moved again . Her body brushed against his this time. Thoughts rushed across his brain. *Oh Shit!* He thought. He was never going to get anything done if she kept up like this! He knew she didn't know what she was doing, but she could at least try to stop arousing him like she was. He pinned Aneka to the bed with his body. He knew it was dangerous considering the state he was in, but he had to do something and feeling her body close to him like that... not good for him, but it kept her from moving. She was beginning to settle down some, but was still shivering uncontrollably, which was making him feel weirder by the second, and then her eyes went white. Sam made himself think of something else. He couldn't let urges control him. So instead he thought about how in the hell he could heal her without entering Death. He couldn't possibly heal her in Death though. There was no way. Unless Hedge was draining her spirit form Death. Which didn't make sense at all seeing as he was very much dead and gone past the Ninth Gate.  
  
"You must hurry! Her life hangs in a balance. Go!" Mogget yelled. Sam looked at Mogget and saw that he was serious. Then he felt Aneka trying to arch off the bed. She was trying to get up off the bed for some reason. He groaned and reluctantly pulled himself and Aneka into Death. He healed her there and came back as soon as he could. He thankfully didn't have to fight anything while he was there and Aneka had stopped moving. Which was a plus on his part seeing as things were not going to well with his hormones right at the moment. 


End file.
